Prefabricated foam expansion joints



April 2, 1968 F. w. CURTlS ETAL 3,

PREFABRICATED FOAM EXPANSION JOINTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 2, 1964 April 2, 1968 F, w. CURTIS ETAL 3,375,521

PREFABRICATED FOAM EXPANSION JOINTS Original Filed March 2, 1964 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 2, 1968 F. w. CURTIS ETAL 3,375,621

PREFABRICATED FOAM EXPANSION JOINTS Original Filed March 2, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet s 1/ l I I R2 3 v INVENTOR.

I FPfl/wr W C'ufirxs 6 4 63 Macaw H. McKER ..;:I BY g /4 m Z W firrafimsvs April 2, 1968 F. w. CURTIS ETAL 3,375,621

PREFABRICATED FOAM EXPANSION JOINTS Original Filed March 2, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. fZW/YK W CWT/.5

6 7 2004 15! Max/1250 M-UQW C W United States Patent 3,375,621 PREFABRICATED FOAM EXPANSION JOINTS Frank W. Curtis, Chagrin Falls, and Malcolm H. Nickerson, South Russell, Ohio, assignors to Lexsuco, Inc., Solon, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Continuation of application Ser. No. 348,725, Mar. 2, 1964. This application Jan. 6, 1967, Ser. No.

4 Claims. (Cl. 52-58) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to expansion joints and particularly to a prefabricated roof expansion joint. This application is a continuation of our co-pending application for Expansion Joints, Ser. No. 348,725, filed Mar. 2, 1964, and now abandoned.

As a rsurn thereof, the present expansion joint is one for closing the gap between two adjacent building sections which have relative movement under widely variant ambient temperatures. More specifically, the expansion joint includes (a) a pair of elongated insulating side members, one for securement to each building section on opposite sides of said gap, (b) an elongated flexible insulating member overlying said gap and hingedly connecting said side members, (c) an insulating cover overlying said side members and the connecting hinge-forming member therefor, and ((1) means cooperating with said side members and said building sections to prevent relative expansion movement thereof.

In the construction of large buildings such as warehouses and factories and particularly .where such structures are built upon a framework of steel, the inherent tendency of the structural members to expand and contract as a result of fluctuating temperatures makes it highly desirable if not absolutely necessary that the building be constructed in separate sections, or sections which are allowed movement relative to each other. The separate sections must, of course, be joined by some means which will afford protection against weather and will, at the same time, provide for relative movement between the sections.

This invention has for its primary object the provision of a prefabricated expansion joint for effectively joining the separate sections of a building at the roof level, said expansion joint 'being characterized by its structural simplicity, its inexpensive manufacturing cost, and the particularly effective manner in which it performs its intended functions.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an expansion joint as set forth above wherein elongated, rigid insulating side members are provided on two building sections on opposite sides of a gap therebetween, the uppermost edges of said side mem- 3,375,621 Patented Apr. 2, 1968 bers being hingedly connected by a flexible insulating center strip.

Yet another object is to provide, in the above expansion joint, an insulating cover which overlies the center strip and the side members hingedly connected thereby and which extends laterally beyond the side members for attachment to the building sections.

A further object is to provide a complementary roofto-eave transition structure for completing and terminating the expansion joint adjacent to the outside edges of the building sections.

Further objects of the present invention and a number of its advantages will be referred to in or will be evident from the following description of one main embodiment of the invention and one variation of the transition structure as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

FIG. 1 is an end perspective of a portion of the expansion joint of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section of the expansion joint partially assembled to the roof sections;

FIG. 3 is a transverse section of the expansion joint, shown in simplified form, illustrating a roof-to-parapet application thereof;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the roof-to-eave transition structure;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section through the transition structure taken along the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a transverse section taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a transverse section taken along the line the present invention may take various forms. It is also to be understood that the pharseology or terminology herein employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, as the scope of the present invention is denoted by the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the expansion joint of this invention is generally indicated at 10, and is mounted across a gap 11 which is defined by generally parallel edges 12 of adjacent roof decks 13. The roof decks 13 each represents the deck of a building section, and the gap 11 represents a space between the building sections which provides room for relative movement between the sections as they expand or contract.

The roof decks 13 are provided on their upper surfaces with a suitable roofing insulation 14 which is confined to the decks by insulation stops 15. Said insulation stops are preferably made of wood, each having one edge thereof substantially coplanar with the adjacent edge 12 of the deck 13 upon which it is mounted. It will be noted that the insulation stops 15 are here shown as generally above the normal roof level to provide normal drainage of water laterally away from the gap 11. For this purpose, each insulation stop 15 carries a wooden nailer 16 nailed or otherwise suitably secured to its upper surface. Each nailer 16 has the inner edge thereof disposed substantially coplanar with the inner edge 12 of the adjacent deck 13, with the outer edge of the nailer being beveled outwardly and downwardly, as indicated at 17.

The insulation 14 and the nailers 16 are covered with a suitable standard roofing material to provide a weatherproof upper surface, said material comprising, for example, a plurality of layers of roofing felts 18 permeated with a suitable weatherproofing substance such as steep asphalt or the like.

The inner edges of the nailers 16 are each provided with a locking strip 20 having an elongated, flat body portion 21, an intermediate, laterally outwardly directed flange 22 disposed perpendicular to said body portion, and thereabove, a laterally outwardly directed and downwardly and backwardly hooked upper flange 23. The locking strip 20 is preferably an elongated extrusion made of a suitable rigid material such as a rigid polyvinyl chloride. Each flat body portion 21 is disposed parallel with and against the inner edge of the adjacent nailer 16 with its flange 22 projecting over and parallel with the adjacent roofing felts 18. The flanges 22 are secured to the nailers 16 in any suitable manner such as by nails 24 (FIG. 2).

It will be noted that the hooked upper flange 23 is spaced a slight distance upwardly above the flange 22 in each locking strip and is directed laterally outwardly away from the gap 11.

A pair of nailing strips 30 are provided, one on each side of the gap 11, each said nailing strip having a flat base 31 which extends from the adjacent body portion 21 of the adjacent locking strip 20 laterally outwardly flatwise over the adjacent roofing felts 18 where it is secured to a nailer 16 by nails 29 (FIG. 2). Each nailing strip 30 has an upstanding angular, S-shaped flange 32 at its inner edge, said flange forming an elongated, inwardly open channel 33 into which the adjacent hooked upper flange 23 of the locking strip projects. Laterally outwardly of said S-shaped flange, each nailing strip 30 here carries an upwardly projecting, inwardly tilted rib 34 which is spaced a substantial distance inwardly from the outermost lateral edge of the base 31. Said nailing strips 30 are preferably extrusions made from a suitable rigid material such as a rigid polyvinyl chloride.

Elongated side members 35 are formed or molded into interlocking relation with the nailing strips 30, each side member here having a vertical face 36, extending upwardly from the associated S-shaped flange 32, and an oblique outer face 37 which extends upwardly and inwardly generally coplanar with the outer surface of the adjacent rib 34. It will be readily seen that the pair of side members 35 have upwardly convergent, outer surfaces and upper edges which terminate a substantial disance upwardly above the nailers 16. The side members 35 are preferably made from a rigid, durable, light weight insulating material, such as a closed cell rigid polyurethane foam, and are preferably molded or formed into interlocking engagement with the flanges 32 of the nailing strips 30.

The upper edges of the side members 35 are here joined by an arched, flexible center strip 40 which serves as a hinge connection therefor and Whch has substantial thick-. ness and preferably is made of a closed cell, flexible, synthetic rubber foam. Elongated strips of woven glass screen 41 are secured adjacent to the edges of the center strip 40 at the concave, inner surface of the arch. Said strips of screen are adhesively bonded to the center strip in any.

suitable manner and extend beyond the edges of said center strip a substantial distance. The side members 35 are preferably molded around the strips of screen 41 and against the edges of the center strip 40 whereby said side members and said center strip are both bonded and mechanically locked together.

The outer surfaces of the side members and the center strip preferably and as here shown are adhesively bonded to an elastomeric cover of a suitable sheet plastic such as a flexible polyvinyl chloride or neopreneThe cover 42 extends laterally outwardly from the side members 35 and overlies the outer edge portions of the nailing strips 30, the outer edge portions of the nailers 16 including the bevels 17, and a substantial portion of the insulation 14. The outer portions of the cover 42 are preferably secured in place with hot asphalt or the like. The lateral edges of said cover are preferably overlaid by strips of roofing felt 43 which extend laterally outwardly over the layers of roofing felt 18, the whole being secured together with the hot asphalt. The roof may then be finished off on either side of the expansion joint 10 with crushed stone or small gravel, as indicated at 44, in a conventional manner.

The expansion joint 10 as hereinabove described is preferably manufactured in strips of substantial length whereby the prefabricated assemblies can be applied to any suitable roof sections. The flexible arch provided by the center strip 40 allows for vertical movement of one of the decks 13 relative to the other, lateral movement of one of the decks relative to the other, and for a substantial amount of relative parallel movement in a horizontal direction between the adjacent edges 12. It has been found that relative parallel movement or racking of the side members 35 is possible to the extent of three inches in a ten foot length of the expansion joint without damage to. the joint and with full recovery to its original shape upon release.

FIG. 2 illustrates the manner of assembly of the expansion joint 10 across the gap 11 between roof decks 13. The locking strips 20 are first nailed in place by the nails 24. Next, one side member 35 is assembled to one locking strip 20 with its channel 33 engaging the hooked, upper flange 23. The base 31 of the associated nailing strip 30 is then secured to the adjacent nailer 16 by the nails 29. For the sake of convenience, the unsecured side edge portions of the cover 42 are at this time folded inwardly and upwardly over the center strip 40 and detachahly secured in place by strips of masking tape 45 or the like. Subsequently, the opposite side member 35 is attached to the opposite locking strip 20 with its channel 33 engaging the adjacent hooked upper flange 23 and the nailing strip 20 is nailed into position. Hot asphalt is then applied on either side of the side members 35 and outwardly therefrom, after which the masking tapes 45 are removed and the cover folded downwardly upon the hot asphalt. The strips of roofing felt 43 and the crushed stone or gravel 44 are then added as described above.

FIG. 3 shows, in simplified form, an expansion joint identical with that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 applied in a situation where the surfaces to be bridged are disposed substantially at right angles to each other. In this situation, a gap 50 between a horizontal roof deck 51 and a vertical parapet 52 is bridged by an expansion joint 10. A first nailer 53 having a bevel 55 is mounted upon a suitable insulation stop 54 on the deck 51 in the same manner as described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2.

' nailers 53 and 53 in the same relative manner as described above, and the side members 35 are interlocked with the locking strips 20 and are secured to the nailers 53 and 53' in exactly the same manner as hereinabove I described. However, it will be noted that in this installation one side member 35 is necessarily disposed at right angles to the other side member instead of parallel therewith. This is possible due to the flexibility of the arched center strip 40 which is easily opened to a wider angle. The lateral edge of the cover 42 which extends beyond the first nailer 53 is secured in place in exactly the same manner as described above. That edge of said cover which extends upwardly beyond the other nailer 53' is downwardly overlapped by a suitable counterflashing 56 which may be made of the same material as said cover.

FIGS. 47 illustrate the roof-to-eave transition structure, generally indicated at 60, for forming a terminal or finishing end portion for the expansion joint of this invention at the point where it meets the outside edge or eave of the building sections. For purposes of description, the transition structure may be considered as comprising two portions, a cross sectionally uniform front portion 61 and a tapered rear or tail portion 62. The uniform front portion 61 has an outer shape substantially identical with that of the expansion joint whereas the tail portioa 62 tapers downwardly in the direction of the cave for providing a finished and smooth transition from the expansion joint generally to said eave.

As best shown in FIG. 6, the uniform front portion 61 has substantially the same sectional contour and comprises substantially the same elements formed in the same way and assembled in the same manner as the expansion joint 10 shown in FIGS. 1-3. The entire transition structure 60 is adapted to be secured to nailers 16 overlaid by roofing felts 18 and carrying the above described locking strips 20. The transition structure 60 has a pair of nailing strips 64 which are identical with the nailing strips 30 and comprise a base 65, an Sshaped inner flange 66 forming a laterally open channel 67, and an inwardly and upwardly obliquely directed rib 68. Upstanding, tapered side members 69 are formed upon the nailing strips '64, and the upper edges of said side members are joined by a center strip 70 which is joined for hinge-forming purposes to the upper edges of said side members in the same manner as described in connection with the expansion joint 10 by means of bonding and strips of woven glass screen 71. A cover shown at 72 is identical in form and material to the cover 42, and as well shown in FIG. 4, said cover 72 extends rearwardly toward the outside edge of the building sections a substantial distance beyond the tapered tail portion 62 whereby it can be turned downwardly over said outside edge. The locking strip 20 is secured as before, by nails 24, and the nailing strips 64 are secured by nails 63.

The tail portion 62 is tapered away from the front portion 61 in a downward direction but maintains a substantial uniform width at its base and is formed into the nailing strips 64 in the same manner as are the side members 69. As best shown in FIG. 7, the tail portion comprises tapering or gradually flattening side members 69 which are preferably formed integrally with and at the same time as the uniformly shaped side members 69. The center strip 70 continues outwardly over the side edge of the building sections and is preferably secured to the tapered side members 69' with a continuation of the same strips of woven glass screen shown at 71. The cover 72 also continues outwardly from the front portion 61 over the tail portion 62 to the outer edge of the building sections.

As best shown in FIG. 5, the outside edges of the building sections are provided with insulation stops upon which are mounted nailers 16'. Each nailer 16' has a bevel 17' disposed inwardly away from the edge of the building sections, and the nailers 16 on either side of the gap 11 intersect the nailers 16 at right angles.

The transition structure 60 is positioned with its thinnest portion adjacent to the inner edges of the nailers 16, and as best shown in FIG. 5, the center strip 70 extends outwardly toward the side edge of the building sections substantially beyond the transition structure. The cover 72 extends beyond the edge of the building sections and is lapped downwardly and secured to the insulation stops 15' in any suitable manner such as by nails 75. The outer portions of the cover 72 are secured with hot asphalt and the lateral edges thereof are preferably overlapped by 6 the roofing felt strips 43 as described in connection with FIGS. 1-3.

At the juncture where the expansion joint 10 meets the transition structure 60, the cover 42 extends substantially beyond the end of the expansion joint whereby it overlaps the uniform front portion 61 of said transition structure where it is preferably cemented in place to said transition structure to form a secure, weathertight seal.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a modified form of the transition structure which is generally indicated at 80. The construction of the transition structure is identical in all respects with the transition structure 60' with the excepion of the cover indicated at 82. Therefore, only the cover 82 will be described in detail, it being understood that the remainder of the transition structure 80 is disclosed in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. Where parts or portions of the transition structure remain unchanged, the reference numerals used in the foregoing views will be used.

The variation in the cover 82 comprises a slot or cutout 83, such as rectangular, which extends from the end of said cover which is disposed over the adjacent side of the building section to a position adjacent to but just short of the uniform front portion 61 of said transition structure. An insert 84 of elastomeric insulating sheet material bridges the slot or cutout 83 and underlies the edges thereof a substantial distance on either side of the center strip 70. said insert is adhesively bonded at the underlapping portions thereof by any suitable adhesive compound.

The purpose of the insert 84 is to give added resilience to the cover 82 in the area thereof which passes over the tail portion of the transition structure 80. This is desirable where the material from which the cover 82 is made is less resilient than that desired in the tapered tail portion or where a less expensive but perfectly adequate material is suitable in all portions of the cover except at the tail portion 85 where it is necessary to use a more expensive material to obtain the desired fit and contour. In the transition structure 60, the cover 72 is made entirely of a material of suitable resilience to conform to the shape of the tail portion 62.

It will be understood that many details of the invention as herein described and illustrated may be changed without, however, departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Expansion joint means for closing a gap between roofs of adjacent building sections, said expansion joint means comprising an elongated cover of flexible sheet material, a strip of flexible foam material secured lengthwise along the center of said cover; a pair of generally wedge shaped side members of rigid foam material secured on either side of said strip with the narrower portions of said wedge shaped side members being adjacent to said strip; each said side member carrying at its wider portion a generally rigid nailing strip having an upsta'ding portion thereof embedded in the associated member and a flat nailing portion projecting laterally ouiward y from the base of the member; said cover extending laterally outwardly beyond said nailing portions; said expansion joint means adapted to be folded along the longi u dinal center of said strip whereby said nailing portions are disposed in the same general plane and project outwardly in opposite directions for nailing to the roofs on either side of the gap, with said cover extending outwardly beyond said nailing portions for securement to the roofs.

2. Expansion joint means as set forth in claim I; locking strips for securing to adjacent edges of the roofs of said building sections on either side of the gap; said locking strips having laterally projecting flange means projecting outwardly away from the gap; and said side members having inwardly open channels at their inner surfaces frictionally engaged by said flange means of said locking strips.

3. Expansion joint means as set forth in claim 1; at References Cited least a portion of said side members being tapered in UNITED STATES PATENTS one longitudinal direction toward said nanmg strip and affording a transition means for terminating said expan- 25,733 2/1965 Patry et a1 52*396 sion joint means adjacent to the eaves of the building 5 9841092 2/1911 Kflepper 5256 sgctions. 2,412,283 12/1946 OConnor 5256 4. Expansion joint means as set forth in claim 3; 3,093,934 6/1963 Underhm 52-3O9X means defining a cutout disposed lengthwise of said ex- 334L206 7/1964 Stephens 52403 pansion joint means in the area thereof covering the tap- 3,172,237 3/1965 Bradley 52 396 X ered portion of said side members; and a sheet insert member secured across said cutout, said insert member 10 HENRY SUTHERLANDPHmaW Exammer having a relatively greater resilience than said cover. A. C. PERHAM, Examiner. 

